1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variant of blackjack suitable for use in casinos, gaming establishments, internet sites or mobile devices as an electronic table game or electronic machine game. The invention further relates to electronic gaming wherein the object of the game is to play two hands of blackjack against a dealer or house, with pays being based on winning both hands.
2. Background of the Art
Blackjack is one of the oldest and still most popular gambling games in casinos today. The success of blackjack games in the gaming industry is partially based on the game's simplicity (i.e., there is widespread public knowledge of the game rules) and the fact that players feel more directly involved in exercising judgment in the play of the game.
The commonly-known traditional blackjack game is played between at least one player and a dealer. The purpose of the game is to beat the dealer by assembling a hand of cards that is valued higher than the dealer's hand without going over 21 points. Aces are worth 1 or 11 points, Tens and Face Cards are worth 10 points, and all other cards are worth their face value (i.e., a 2 is worth 2 points, a 3 is worth 3 points, etc.). The game begins with each player making a wager to play one hand and receiving two cards, either both face up or face down. The dealer receives one card face up and the other face down. Any player receiving a natural twenty-one or Blackjack (i.e. a total of 21 in the initial dealt hand) is immediately rewarded, typically at a rate of 3:2 or 6:5, and play is terminated as to that player. Each remaining player examines his hand and forms a final player hand by taking a hit (i.e., receiving another card), or standing (i.e., refusing to receive any additional cards and making final the current hand). A player may hit as many times as the player wishes as long as the player does not bust (i.e., have a cumulative total greater than 21). When a player busts, the player's wager is immediately collected and play is terminated as to that player.
Additional options are available depending on the initial hand dealt. If the player receives a pair (i.e., two cards having the same face value), the player may split the pair and use each card as a basis for a separate hand. For example, if a player were to be dealt a pair of eights, the player may choose to split the pair and continue play with two hands each having an eight and an additional dealt card. Each of those individual hands is then played independently according to the same rules as above. A player may also have the option to double down, which allows the player to double his wager and receive exactly only one additional card. Surrender is an another option that allows the player to forfeit (typically) one-half of his wager and terminate play if the dealer's up card is an Ace or Ten-Value Card. These options, if used correctly according to basic strategy, are valuable tools for the player, and help the player to enhance his chances to win against the dealer.
After all the players have played their hands, the dealer reveals the face-down card in the dealer's hand. The dealer plays the dealer's hand according to established house rules. That is, the house uses established “house rules” to eliminate the dealer's discretion, so that the dealer hits or stands as the house rules dictate. The dealer then resolves the wagers. In resolving the wagers, players with a final hand total closer to 21 than the dealer's final hand total are rewarded at even money. However, if the dealer's final hand is closer to 21, the player loses his wager. If the dealer busts, all players who did not bust or receive a blackjack win. Most usually, if the player and dealer push (i.e., tie), the player's wager is returned.
Despite the popularity of blackjack, there are still problems with its gameplay, both for the player and the casino. Because it is so simple to play, players may become bored with the monotonous routine. In addition, the even money rewards makes it difficult to win large sums of money unless large sums are wagered. There is also an intimidation factor in blackjack: less skilled players are sometimes reluctant to play with seasoned players who may become agitated when they believe the amateur has made a decision that adversely affects the pro. As far as the drawbacks for the casino are concerned, blackjack requires skilled dealers who must thoroughly understand the gameplay and payouts. Their salaries and benefits cut into the casino's bottom line. Another major problem for the house is that blackjack is time intensive, allowing only about 40 hands per player per hour. The house has a built-in edge on virtually any gambling game, so the more number of hands played in a particular time period increases the revenue for the casino. And since the house's edge in blackjack is traditionally lower than 2%, the casino's profits are slim.
It is for these reasons that inventors and gaming manufacturers have strived to create new variations of blackjack games that are more thrilling for the player and more lucrative for the house. Unique gameplay with additional wager opportunities and higher risk/reward options (and most often higher house edges) can attract new types of players who are looking for more stimulating games with larger payouts. And this may keep them playing longer, thereby increasing revenue for the casino.
Prior art has taught numerous attempts to make blackjack more exciting, stimulating and lucrative. One particular way is allowing the player to play more than one hand at once. U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,915 (Groussman) allows the player to play two hands of blackjack at a single player station, requiring one wager per hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,427 (Jarvis, et al.) teaches multiple hands of blackjack that can be indiviually wagered upon, played in a rapid substantially automatic fashion and according to a preset strategy.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,309,066 (Donaldson), the player is initially dealt three cards that create at least two separate and playable hands. One of those cards dealt to each player is considered a “shared card” in its relationship to each of the other two cards dealt to that player.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,821 (Hall) comprises a method in which each player places an initial bet on each of two or more hands of blackjack, each player then having an option to switch cards between the two or more hands. The two or more hands dealt to each player are then played out in a conventional blackjack manner, in order to settle the initial bets placed on each of the hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,295 (Cabot, et al.) describes methods of playing card games wherein a player makes a plurality of wagers and is provided with an initial partial card hand for each wager. The player then receives additional cards which the player assigns to the previously received initial partial hands.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,949 (Josephs) describes a modified version of the game of blackjack that includes a player playing first and second hands. The invention comprises the player receiving (a) a first supplemental payoff if the first and second hands both equal the hand of the dealers (b) a second supplemental payoff if the first and second hands are equal, or (c) a third supplemental payoff if either the first hand or the second hand equal the dealer's hand. In a preferred embodiment, the supplemental payoffs are offered at no additional cost to the player.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,268 No. (Nelson, et al.) teaches a game with two hands for the player and two hands for the dealer in which the gaming establishment is not an active player but rather patrons play against each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,023 (Rowe) discloses a method in which the player receives four cards in a rectangular array. The initial cards are arranged in a rectangular array with rows, columns and/or diagonals of the array defining the hands. Each hand can be played and/or evaluated using certain aspects of blackjack, poker or other traditional card game play or evaluation. At least some prizes or top winning outcomes for a round of play must include winning outcomes from at least two, and preferably from all, of the hands played by a given player.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,075 (DeFranco) describes a blackjack-type card game where each player receives a four playing card array arranged in a square, with two of the cards face-up and two face down. Wagers are made on at least one and at most three of the six possible different two-cards of the array, betting against the dealer's hand. A dealer's hand consists of two cards, one card face-up and one card face-down. The dealer's play is governed by traditional blackjack rules.
United States Patent Application No. 20080076500 (Lancaster, et al.) describes a gaming device having a primary game and a secondary game. The gaming device includes a primary game, such as blackjack or 21 operable on a wager by a player, and an optional secondary game that is operable on a secondary game wager by a player. After placing a secondary game wager and satisfying certain criteria in the primary game, one or more players are provided with a secondary game card to be used in the secondary game. The secondary game is resolved after a player has accumulated a plurality of secondary game cards over the course of several sequentially played rounds of the primary game.
United States Patent Application No. 20080012224 (Hall) discloses a wagering game, preferably a variant of blackjack, that is played by at least one player placing at least three separate wagers on a single round of the wagering game. A first of the three wagers is committed to a first hand wagering position, a second of the at least three wagers committed to a second hand wagering position, and the third wager initially is not committed to specifically either the first or second wagering position. From a first set of playing cards, the player receives a separate hand at each of the first hand wagering position and the second hand wagering position. The player commits the third wager to either the first hand wagering position or the second hand wagering position.
Another method to enhance blackjack disclosed in prior art utilizes more than two cards to be dealt to the player and/or dealer. U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,773 (Mims) discloses a card game in which, after bets are made by a player, three cards are dealt to the player by the dealer who also receives three cards. Thereafter the player selects two of the three dealt cards to play in the manner of a game of conventional blackjack and the dealer selects two of three cards for dealer play.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,842 (Cabot, et al.) teaches methods of playing card games wherein a dealer is initially provided with a number of cards exceeding the minimum number required to play a hand. According to various embodiments, the dealer discards the excess cards during the play of a card hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,209 (Prerost) relates to a modification to the well-known card game of blackjack or 21. A player is dealt first and second cards after placing an original bet, and then elects to stand or take an additional third card. If a third card is taken, the player is given the option of keeping the card, or replacing the card. If the third card is replaced, an additional wager is placed by the player, and a replacement to the third card is given. The player then elects to stand or take additional cards. After the player has taken all desired cards, the dealer's hand and player's hand are compared to determine a winner.
The addition of novel side bets is another method that has been used to enhance the excitement and increase the house edge in blackjack. Some inventions are based on the array of cards in the player's hand. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,354,042 (Moshal), 7,309,066 (Donaldson), 7,267,343 (Schreiner), 7,261,297 (Bermudez), 7,222,854 (Sorge), 7,147,226 (Moshal), 7,108,264 (Byme, et al.), 7,066,466 (Stavinsky, et al.), 6,854,731 (Saucier), 6,543,773 (Mims), 6,481,717 (Richardelle), 6,345,824 (Selitzky), 5,288,077 (Jones), 5,979,897 (Grossman), 5,839,730 (Pike), 5,577,731 (Jones), 5,615,888 (Lofink), and 5,632,485 (Woodland, et al.). Other prior art disclose side bets that are based on a combination of cards from the player and dealer hands. These include U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,180 (Webb), U.S. Pat. No.7,066,465 (Daines), U.S. Pat. No. 6,902,167 (Webb), U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,274 (Webb), U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,981 (Ko), U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,831 (Webb), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,719 (Webb). Some prior art is based on the value of the player hand vs. the value of the dealer hand, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,097,175 (Centrone), U.S. Pat. No. 7,080,839 (Shackleford), U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,718 (Koelling), U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,500 (Miller), U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,949 (Josephs), and United States Patent Application No. 20070176366.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,855 teaches a side bet that is based on the cards in the player's hand plus community cards. Other patents or applications offer a side bet based on the cards in either the player or the dealer hand. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,144,011 (Asher, et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,173 (Snow) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,917 (Vancura). Still other prior art for blackjack side bets are based on the cards in the dealer's hand. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,845,981 (Ko) that is based upon the dealer's hand exceeding the target value, the total number of cards in the dealer's hand or the sum value of the dealer's first two cards alone or in conjunction with the player's hand; 5,791,989 (Slinkman) that is based on the dealer's first two cards being a standing hand; 5,174,579 (Griffiths) that is based on a dealer blackjack or bust on three or more playing cards; and United States Patent Application No. 20040259619 (Cranford) wherein participating players are able to wager on the dealer having a non-breaking hand containing two, three, four, five, six, or seven cards or wherein the dealer has an even or odd count, or an all red or all black hand.
Manufacturers of casino products have also recently turned their attention to electronic table games. These games rely on a table that has at least individual player monitor screens and a computer processor. As in internet card play, the gameplay is accelerated, providing more decisions per hour, and thus more revenue for the casino. Another appealing aspect of electronic table gaming from the casino's point of view is that a live dealer may not be needed, reducing personnel costs. And even if a dealer is required, he may not need to be professionally trained, as the processor will handle any complex decisions, results or compensations. To date, however, the majority of offered electronic table games are simply electronic versions of traditional felt-top games. Although the number of hands per hour is increased, the gameplay does not take advantage of the possibilities provided by the computer processor. Examples of electronic casino table card play systems include at least Published U.S. Patent Applications Nos. 20050090304; 20060055114; 20060058083; 20060058085; 20060058088; 20060058090; 20060058091; 20060058092; 20060058093; 20060068498; 20060068864; 20060068865; 20060068866; 20060068867; 20060068868; 20060068869; 20060068870; 20060068871; 20060068879; and 20060068899 (PokerTek, Inc. applications); 20050164759; 20050164762; (Shuffle Master, Inc.); and 20060199629; 20060205472; 20070015561; 20070049368; 20070049369; 20070072663; 20070072664; 20070142107; and 20070281786 (Sines et al.).
It is an ever-increasing challenge to provide electronic card game players with new and enticing gameplay features that will stimulate player interest and increase time at the table or the machine. Despite the novel inventions as described in prior art, it would be advantageous to invent a blackjack game for electronic table gaming that takes advantage of processing abilities and relies on familiar game patterns, yet provides revolutionary decision-making choices while accelerating the pace of the game and increasing the house edge.
Each of the references discussed in this text art are incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes including enablement of multiplayer platforms and structures for execution of games according to the present invention.